Kolkata, 12/1 : The confrontation between the West Bengal government and central agencies escalated into a potential constitutional crisis on Monday as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved the Supreme Court, seeking the registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The federal agency has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, along with the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, of obstructing a lawful investigation and “snatching” crucial evidence during raids linked to political strategist Pratik Jain.
The legal escalation follows high drama in Kolkata last week when ED officials conducted searches at the residence of Jain, a co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and the firm’s offices in Salt Lake. I-PAC is currently managing the TMC’s campaign strategy for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The raids, purportedly connected to a money-laundering probe into an alleged coal smuggling scam, took a volatile turn when the Chief Minister personally visited the raid site on Loudon Street.
In its petition before the apex court, the ED alleged that the “highest constitutional functionary of the state” led a “mob” of senior officials and police personnel to the search premises. The agency claims that under the Chief Minister’s direct intervention, state machinery intimidated ED officers and forcibly removed digital devices and physical documents that had been seized as part of the investigation. The ED has described the incident as a “complete breakdown of the rule of law,” asserting that the “protectors of law became perpetrators of a serious cognizable offence.”
The Trinamool Congress has vehemently denied the allegations, framing the raids as a “political tool” employed by the BJP-led central government to cripple the opposition ahead of the polls. Leading a massive protest march from Jadavpur to Hazra on Friday, Mamata Banerjee accused the ED of attempting to steal her party’s internal election strategy and candidate lists under the guise of a financial probe.
“They entered at 6 AM, and I went at noon. By then, they could have planted anything or stolen our data,” Banerjee told a thunderous crowd of supporters. “I went there as the TMC chairperson to protect my party’s interests, not as the Chief Minister. If they try to steal our strategy to help the BJP, I will not remain a silent spectator.”
The political strategist at the center of the storm, Pratik Jain, has been a key figure in TMC’s backroom operations. I-PAC released a statement calling the raids an “unsettling precedent” for professional organizations. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting to be heard before any interim order is passed on the ED’s plea.
As the legal battle heads to the nation’s highest court, the political atmosphere in West Bengal remains charged. The BJP has demanded the Chief Minister’s resignation, with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari terming her actions as “unprecedented misuse of power.” With the 2026 Assembly elections on the horizon, this clash signals a bitter and protracted fight between the TMC and the Centre.
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